HUNGARY’S 2018 parliamentary election could shake the EU to the core with a new wave of euroscepticism if the outcome will see the re-election of Fidesz party leader Viktor Orban, Hungary's longest-serving post-communist premier.

This year’s Hungarian election has been marked by an acrimonious campaign that saw incumbent right-wing prime minister Mr Orban speaking out against immigration and the European Union’s refugee policy.

If Mr Orban achieves a strong win today, he could feel empowered by the voters’ choice to put more muscle into an anti-EU Central European alliance, which opposes to a deeper integration of the bloc and a shared responsibility of the hospitality of refugees reaching the European Union.

Opinion polls released in the run up to the vote put his party Fidesz well ahead his adversaries.

But pollsters warned that the surprisingly high voting turnout registered may threaten Mr Orban’s victory.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling Fidesz party looks set to be re-elected on Sunday for a third successive term with a strong mandate, as preliminary results show Fidesz possibly gaining a two-thirds majority in parliament.

Nationalist Jobbik was projected to win 26 seats, with the Socialists in third place with 20 lawmakers.

10.10pm UPDATE

The National Election Office has released the first official results.

Mr Orban's Fidesz Party is projected to win two-thirds of the majority in the Hungarian parliament with 134 seats out of 199.

The Hungarian Socialist party has received 11.85 per cent of the votes counted so far.

Nationalist Jobbik party is projected to win 27 seats.

9.58pm UPDATE

Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen announced that PM Mr Orban will address the public soon, as the results of Sunday's election come in.

Mr Semjen thanked voters who turned out in unexpectedly high numbers for the vote, which could give right-wing nationalist Mr Orban a third successive term in power.

9.55pm UPDATE

Zoltán Kész, an Independent candidate supported by the opposition, has already conceded his defeat and congratulated to his opponent, Hungarian Azonnali website reported.

Despite the National Election Office is yet to release the first preliminary result, Mr Kész said he has been defeated by Fidesz candidate Péter Ovádi.

9.40pm UPDATE

Unofficial results are already being published on Hungarian news websites.

The website Index, citing party data, says that ruling party Fidesz has proved to be very popular in the countryside, winning more voters than in 2014, when Mr Orban triumphed in the country.

But it lost many votes in the capital city, Index reported.

Official government site AboutHungary endorsed Index’s forecasts, saying that Fidesz and their Christian Democratic ally, the KDNP, are expected to win 116 out of 199 seats in Hungary’s National Assembly.

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Hungary election results: Fidesz party vice chairman said he expects a 'sizeable majority'

Hungary's National Election Office said it expects to release preliminary results of Sunday's election around 9pm GMT, later than earlier thought, as hundreds of people are still queuing to vote in Budapest.

The head of the office, Ilona Palffy, told private broadcaster ATV that turnout in two districts was much higher than anticipated.

Voters were not allowed to join queues at polling stations after 5pm GMT, but some polling stations stayed open to allow those already in line to cast their ballots.

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Hungary election results: People are still waiting in line to vote in Budapest

9.00pm UPDATE

Hungarian news website HVG released the first partial and unofficial results.

HVG claimed that opposition parties are in the lead in at least four electoral districts, which are:

Hungary election results: Preliminary results will be released after 9pm GMT

8.45pm UPDATE

A banner has appeared on a balcony located in Budapest's eleventh district, where thousands of people who arrived at the polling station before the official closing time are still queuing waiting to vote.

The banner reads: "Thank you for voting."

Ilona Pálffy of the National Election Office confirmed that 2,500 are still in line to vote at this station.

She also recognized that the delay is a problem that her Office must resolve for future elections.

The first preliminary results will be released only after this polling station will be closed.

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Hungary election results: A banner thanking people for voting appeared in Budapest

8.30pm UPDATE

The turnout could be a crucial factor of Hungary's election 2018.

Here's the voter turnout of the country's elections since 1990:

2018: 68 per cent (interim data)

2014: 61.8 per cent

2010: 64.4 per cent

2006: 67.8 per cent

2002: 73.5 per cent

1998: 56 per cent

1994: 68 per cent

1990: 65 per cent

8.05pm UPDATE

News website Index is predicting that Mr Orban will retain a reduced but stable majority in Parliament.

Index, despite recognising that this is just a projection, forecasted the following seat count in the 199 member Parliament:

FIDESZ: 116

JOBBIK: 34

MSZP-P: 22

DK: 12

LMP: 11

Independent: 2

Együtt: 1

German minority list: 1

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Hungary election results: First official projections are expected to be released after 9.30pm GMT

8pm UPDATE

Mr Orban’s spokesman Zoltán Kovács told The Guardian that a two-thirds parliamentary majority is not a necessary benchmark.

He added: “If it’s a convincing majority, that’s going to be enough.”

He also said that the high turnout is a sign that “Hungarian democracy is alive and ticking”.

Meanwhile, there are still approximately 2,500 people at a polling station in Budapest's eleventh district waiting to vote.

7.50pm UPDATE

Hungarian National Election Office said they expect to publish preliminary results around 7.30pm GMT.

7.45pm UPDATE

PM Orban's opponents have been cheering the high turnout in the Hungarian parliamentary election.

Socialist spokeswoman Bernadett Budai was quoted as saying by national news agency MTI: "We are convinced that high turnout definitely reflects...that people want a change in government."

A high turnout in the 2002 election saw Mr Orban confined to the opposition for eight years.

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Hungary election results: A very high turnout could threaten PM Orban's parliamentary majority

7.35pm UPDATE

Most polling stations have now been closed, and the vote count is set to begin.

The election day has been marked by a very high turnout that could threaten Viktor Orban's parliamentary majority.

Interim data at 1630 GMT showed voter turnout at 68.13 percent, exceeding final turnout in the past three elections.

Opposition activists’ election watch party in front of parliament, under heavy police watch, kicks off with concert. Theme, predictably, is freedom. #Hungarypic.twitter.com/Qcv1oNuG23

Ruling Fidesz party lawmaker Gergely Gulyas said that it is unlikely that today's vote will result in a two-thirds parliamentary majority.

He said: "Theoretically everything is still possible as we don't know the data yet ... but in Hungary a two-thirds victory is possible if neither side loses more than 10 districts and there is a difference of at least 20 percent between the winner and the runner-up".

Mr Gulyas added: "I consider this unlikely. I think this is outside the category of reality."

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